TRANSFORMING TRASH INTO TREASURE: WASTE VALORIZATION PRACTISE IN SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Abstract
This study explores the potential of waste valorization as a strategy for promoting sustainable development within a circular economy framework among Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. The primary objective is to develop practical approaches for transforming domestic waste into high-value, environmentally friendly products, thereby addressing resource underutilization and environmental concerns. The methodology involves participatory training sessions to enhance community members' skills in waste management, product design, and entrepreneurship, supported by qualitative assessments of attitudes and quantitative measurements of raw material input and estimated production costs. The results indicate that 84% of participants felt the program effectively addressed relevant societal issues, 81% actively participated in and benefited from the activities, and the infrastructure support facilitated the production of eco-friendly products. Additionally, participants demonstrated increased knowledge, their skill levels improved from basic to medium, and they gained confidence in producing sustainable products, which can potentially be expanded to local and international markets. The study concludes that waste valorisation is a promising approach for fostering a circular economy and promoting sustainable development, emphasising the importance of continuous training, infrastructure development, and market access.
Downloads
References
Amrina, U., Roswandi, I., & Widyanty, W. (2024). Optimalisasi praktikum erp-odoo di smk: Keterampilan digital menuju era industri 4.0. Jurnal Industri Kreatif dan Kewirausahaan, 7(2), 136-145.
Balaganesh, P., Vasudevan, M., Natarajan, N., Uppuluri, K. B., Balasubramani, R., & Gopi, K. (2023). Waste to wealth: A futuristic outlook for waste utilization in India. Paper presented at the IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science.
Dhar, S., Singh, R., Shrivastava, M., & Sangwan, S. (2021). Waste to wealth: Innovative ideas and technological initiatives. In Innovations in agriculture for a self-reliant India (pp. 581-593): CRC Press.
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M., & Hultink, E. J. (2017). The circular economy–a new sustainability paradigm? Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 757-768.
Geng, T., Chen, H., Liu, D., Shi, Q., & Zhang, H. (2021). Research on mediating mechanisms and the impact on food provision services in poor areas from the perspective of stakeholders. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10510.
Hasibuan, S., & Hidayati, J. (2018). The integration of cleaner production innovation and creativity for supply chain sustainability of bogor batik SMEs. Int J Ind Manuf Eng, 12(5).
Irgin, P., & Bilki, Z. (2024). Students' perceptions of online peer feedback in process-oriented l2 writing: A qualitative inquiry. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 83, 101403.
Jayasinghe, R., Liyanage, N., & Baillie, C. (2021). Sustainable waste management through eco-entrepreneurship: An empirical study of waste upcycling eco-enterprises in Sri Lanka. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 23(2), 557-565.
Kalkanis, K., Alexakis, D. E., Kyriakis, E., Kiskira, K., Lorenzo-Llanes, J., Themelis, N. J., & Psomopoulos, C. S. (2022). Transforming waste to wealth, achieving circular economy. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 2(4), 1541-1559.
Karim, R., Waaje, A., Roshid, M. M., & Yeamin, M. B. (2025). Turning the waste into wealth: Progressing toward global sustainability through the circular economy in waste management. In Sustainable waste management in the tourism and hospitality sectors (pp. 507-552): IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
Kherwal, M., Kumar, V., Kant, R., Tejasvi, S., & Goel, V. K. (2024). An opportunity for the entrepreneurs in waste management. In Integrated waste management: A sustainable approach from waste to wealth (pp. 395-411): Springer.
Lawrence, J. A., Kaplan, I., Korkees, D., Stow, M., & Dodds, A. E. (2023). Perspectives and feelings of refugee children from syria and iraq about places and relations as they resettle in Australia. Transcultural Psychiatry, 60(1), 52-61.
Mishra, S., Chauhan, M. S., Sundaramurthy, S., Raj, V., Vishwakarma, A., & Niranjan, U. S. (2024). Waste to wealth: A philosophy of zero waste. In From waste to wealth (pp. 85-107): Springer.
Mohapatra, S., Roy, S., Upadhyay, A., & Kumar, A. (2024). Circular value creation through environmental entrepreneurship initiatives: A case‐based exploration. Business Strategy and the Environment.
Mondal, S., Kumar, A., Gupta, H., & Singh, S. (2024). From waste to wealth: The impact of waste entrepreneurship on the circular economy. In Trash or treasure: Entrepreneurial opportunities in waste management (pp. 1-23): Springer.
Reddy, V. V., Kumar, P., Rao, A., Kumar, R., Singh, S., Asha, V., & Kareem, S. H. (2023). Waste to wealth generation: Innovative methodologies in resource utilization and minimization in circular economy. Paper presented at the E3S Web of Conferences.
Santoro, S., Totaro, V., Mastrodonato, G., & Balena, P. (2023). Mapping citizens' knowledge and perception. What support for flood risk planning? Some tips from Brindisi case study. Paper presented at the International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications.
Tahir, S. (2024). Waste-to-wealth initiatives: Scaling up circular economy practices in developing nations. International Journal of Green Skills and Disruptive Technology, 1(1), 100-108.
Umesh, M., Basheer, T., Sarojini, S., Santhosh, A. S., Suresh, S., & James, N. (2024). Waste management for waste entrepreneurship: An emerging concept. In Trash or treasure: Entrepreneurial opportunities in waste management (pp. 231-253): Springer.
